The train tour made a Detroit stop over Labor Day weekend at The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.  I took my daughter for some alone Daddy and daughter time.  We went opening day at 9:15 am.  The tours were to start at 9:00 and there was already a line.  Because the train was at the back of the Village, there were buses to take us to it.  So after waiting for about 15 minutes or so, we boarded our coach and were taken to the train.

On the bus, heading towards the train

When we got to the train there was yet another line.  While waiting, there was a quartet of carolers singing Christmas songs to the crowd.  Surprisingly, they were wearing the full 19th century holiday regalia.  It was a very warm day and they must have been incredibly hot under their costumes.  It was very cute and added to the ambiance.  Also adding to the ambiance of the festivities was some snow.  Machines at various locations around the tour stop were blowing out snowflakes in which the kids loved to play.

Carolers singing

At last, after about an hour waiting, we were ushered into the train.  Before entering, we were given a train ticket for the exhibit showing the number of “passengers” in our party.  Inside the train we walked through three cars where we were able to see some costumes, artwork, and even miniature models of London that were used to inspire the movie.

Train ticket

The train

 In the last train car the exhibit offered a very unique experience for the visitors.  The movie was shot using performance capture technology which is how they are able to portray actors’ movements and expressions into digital animation.  It was neat to learn more about this during the tour (though it probably bored the young’ins to death).  Well, near the end we were able to use this technology to “morph” ourselves into the movie’s characters.  There were stations set up inside the traincar to take photographs of the visitors.  Each person could then choose to see their face morph into Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim, etc.

We had a really good time and before leaving we got to watch an extended trailer of the movie in 3D.

After playing around with the O*NET search engine it was time to use the Interest Profiler which will match your interests with the careers that are best suited for you.  The Interest Profiler consists of 180 statements of work descriptions and you can answer Like, Dislike, or Unsure.  (For example, Working with databases; Changing a car’s oil; Directing a play; Provide rehabilitation therapy for seniors; etc.)

After you answer L, D, or U to the 180 statements you can print out your Score Summary.  You are scored on six interest categories:

Realistic: People with Realistic interests like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.  They enjoy dealing with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.  They enjoy outside work.  Often people with Realistic interests do not like occupations that mainly involve doing paperwork or working closely with others.  (My score: 2)

Investigative: People with Investigative interests like work activities that have to do with ideas and thinking, rather than with physical activity.  They like to search for facts and figure out problems mentally, rather than to persuade or lead people.  (My score: 18)

Artistic: People with Artistic interests like work activities that deal with the artistic side of things, such as forms, designs, and patterns.  They like self-expression in their work.  They prefer settings where work can be done without following a clear set of rules.  (My score: 17)

Social: People with Social interests like work activities that assist others and promote learning and personal development.  They prefer to communicate more than to work with objects, machines, or data.  They like to teach, to give advice, to help, or otherwise be of service to people.  (My score: 26)

Enterprising: People with Enterprising interests like work activities that have to do with starting up and carrying out projects, especially business ventures.  They like persuading and leading people and making decisions.  They like taking risks for profit.  These people prefer action, rather than thinking.  (My score: 18)

Conventional: People with Conventional interests like work activities that follow set procedures and routines.  They prefer working with data and detail, rather than with ideas.  They prefer work in which there are precise standards, rather than work in which you have to judge things by yourself.  These people like working where the lines of authority are clear.  (My score: 20)

Like I mentioned in my earlier post, it’s a shame that this couldn’t all be done from a remote location (i.e. home) through the internet via login/username and passwords.  Instead, I had to drive 40 minutes to Michigan Works! and sign a piece of paper documenting that I had attended and completed my Interest Profiler.

I did learn some things about myself though through the Profiler.  For starters, that I enjoy communicating, teaching, and helping others.  The Profiler also reinforced what I already knew about my displeasure for working with wood, tools, machinery, etc.  The rest of it is pretty much a toss-up with a slight leaning towards working with procedures, data, and precise attention to details.

My next step in the NWLB tango is to attend a Career Exploration Preparation workshop which is scheduled for next Thursday (8/13).  I’ll provide another update then.

I had been preparing for the race, lengthening my runs when I decided one fateful day in April to run while pushing my 1 year old son in a stroller.  The problem that I discovered shortly into the run was that his stroller constantly veers to the left.  This meant that every few paces I was forced to correct its direction.  Doing so was putting an enormous strain on my right knee and when it was done, my knee was in some serious pain.  The day after, the same thing.  And the next day, and the next day.  Eventually, the pain went away and I decided to go out for a run again. 

What I found was that I could run and be fine that day, but the next day is when I would feel the pain.  It would last for a day and then go away.  This would be okay, I thought, because I could still run every other day, taking a day off while my knee hurt to return to running the next day.  I continued this way throughout May and into part of June and the knee never improved.  So I figured I would rest it through June and July and try again in August.  This would still give me two months to train and prepare for the race in October.

Well, today was my first run since June.  I decided to take it easy by starting off with a 3 mile jog with some speed intervals thrown in every few minutes.  The run started well, but before the half-way point I could feel some tightness and pain in my knee.  Even now as I type, I can feel it.  Needless the say, the rest did it no good and it looks like my plan for the 1/2 marathon is done for.  Beyond that, I don’t know if I’ll be able to participate in this year’s Turkey Trot.

It looks like I’ll have to visit a doctor to see what’s wrong with it and how to fix it.  That’ll have to wait until I get a job and medical insurance though.  Anyway, I’m a little bummed and wanted to take a few minutes to blog about it.

Pondering my last post regarding Michigan Works!’s TABE test (Test for Adult Basic Education), I felt maybe I came down a little too hard on the difficulty-level.  As I stated, it was supposed to test through a 12th grade level, but seemed far lower in my estimation.

Now, I’m understanding a little more.  The Detroit Free Press’s Rochelle Riley wrote a column today about the literacy level of working-age adults in the state of Michigan.  Turns out, 44% are not literate beyond a 6th grade level.

How sad.  No, not sad – maddening.  I’m mad that my state is in the condition it is in.  Over 15% unemployed statewide and greater than 17% in the Detroit metro area and nearly half of all adults can’t read sufficiently?!  I don’t even know what to say about that or where to go from here.  I’m so dumbfounded that I’m at a complete and utter loss for words.  Maybe I’ll regain utterance and post more about this later.  Arghhh!

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I’m back.  I’ve had a few hours to compose myself and think about to whom my disappointment should be directed.  Should it be the education system-slash-state of Michigan?  Should it be the employers?  Should it be the individuals?

Is the educational system to fault?  Certainly.  To some degree.  Afterall, as the article points out, our school system has to share the blame for ”socially promot[ing]“ students to the next grade level who were under-educated, and thus, undeserving.

As for the companies, the employers.  Some may hate me for saying this, but in our capitalistic, free market system, companies will hire the best talent that they can get for a cheap as they can.  This means that they do not regard the employees’ literacy or education so far as they are able to complete the job that is charged to them.  And in this state that is generally manual labor – manufacturing.  Basically, one need not know of the existence of Troy nor comprehend Homer’s (not that one!!) Iliad.  Please do not misunderstand what I am saying.  I do not absolve corporations for everything and play the “capitalist, free market” card.  Surely they must behave ethically toward those they employ, and in this instance I believe it is ethical for them to hire qualified, yet uneducated folk.  In fact, one might say it would be prejudiced for them not to.

In the end, I have to lay blaim mostly on the people themselves.  Are they unmotivated and lazy?  That may bee too harsh, but largely, I think yes.  There are adult educational institutions in which to go to improve oneself.  Were they motivated enough they would have gone.  You might say that they have hard, physically demanding jobs or any other excuse in the book.  Believe me I can sympathize.  I could only attend college part time in the evenings after long days at work too.

I attended a conference last week where I had the opportunity to hear Chris Gardener speak.  He is the man who was deftly played by Will Smith in the film The Pursuit of Happyness.  It was a film based on the true story of Chris’s life.  He was a homeless, single father of a young son in early 1980′s San Francisco.  He never once blamed anyone else for his situation.  He believed in personal accountability.  He had made choices that had led him to where he was.  He had some bad luck along the way too, but ultimately his predicament was his own.  Through much hard work he was able to rise through the difficulty and become successful.  I believe the same thing for the illiterate adults of Michigan.

What if they didn’t know they were as poorly literate as they apparently were?  In other words, ignorant?  In this case, ignorance is not bliss.  Life is a journey towards self improvement.  I believe we should always be looking to better ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.  All three areas are equally important.  And in today’s world, securing employment increasingly depends on our knowledge and mental skills.  To have improved physically or spiritually, and neglected your mental capacity, will not help you support your family.

Thanks for letting me think my way through this post.  It definitely was an enlightening endeavor.  Please read the article and leave me your feedback – critical or agreeable.

The orientation itself, on the other hand, was unnecessary.  This was just example one (example two to follow) during this day of why government is not efficient at the tasks it undertakes.  The whole purpose of the orientation, namely, to learn about the qualifications and steps required to be accepted and receive funding, could have been done entirely online.  In all my weeks of researching the No Worker Left Behind I did not find any source with the clear, concise information I wanted to understand the program.

Basically, here’s how it works.  1.) Attend NWLB orientation, 2.) Attend Career Trends Workshop where you complete an Interest Profiler and research your career by looking up occupations on their O-Net web site, 3.) Attend Career Explorations where you prepare and explore the job market of your occupation, 4.) Take the TABE (Test for Adult Basic Education) test to measure your education and find what training may be necessary in your new field, and lastly, 5.) Make an appointment to meet with a Case Manager who will go over your prior steps and review your TABE test results with you.  The crazy thing is all these steps must be completed in person at a Michigan Works! office when they are all suited perfectly to be done online.  Fortunately, I was able to knock out two steps in one visit as I took the TABE test while there for orientation last week.

Which brings me to my second rant.  When introducing the test, the administrator stated that we will not be getting the results that day.  We will not know how we did until 8-10 weeks later when we would meet with our Case Manager.  Right away, I new this wasn’t going to be similar to any test I had taken recently (say, the last 15 years).  Then, we weren’t ushered into a room with desktop computers, oh no, we were staying right there behind the long, wobbly, decomposing wood tables.  Then the tests came out with the scan-tron answer papers and #2 pencils.

Now let me tell you about the tests.  When I realized the test would not be computerized, I was expecting the type of test that is individually sealed and is broken open only when the administrator gives permission.  Wrong again.  These tests have been recycled over and over for probably the past 15 or more years.  And the only reason I am that conservative on my estimate is because one of the questions in the test provided an example of a web page that would have been similar to those of that era.

The test was comprised of four sections: reading comprehension, math problems/equations, math in practical application, and language.  The test was to determine basic education which was indicated to be through a 12th grade level.  I don’t know if they were talking about the 12th grade education of a Detroit Public School graduate, but the test was no where near 12th grade level in my opinion.  At its highest, maybe a 9th or 10th grade depending on when you learned about basic geometry.  Now, that’s not to say that I answered all the problems correctly, just that it wasn’t too challenging, and when they say basic education, they mean BASIC.

So here is example number two of how the government is not efficient at the tasks it undertakes.  My most recent test experience is taking the GMAT.  The difference in efficiency and professionalism is night and day.  The TABE test could take some notes and best practices from how GMAC administers the GMAT.  First, it’s computerized so scan-trons and #2 pencils would be eliminated.  (As an aside, are #2 pencils really needed anymore with scan-trons?  I know that the polling place in my voting precinct uses as scan-tron system, but it reads blue or black ink.  Even that would be a baby step-up for the TABE.)  With computerized tests, the results can be given immediately, no more needing to wait.  Additionally, make the TABE adaptive.  This will give a better indication of where ones strengths and weaknesses lie.  Let an engineer or accountant really show off and shine in the math section by getting deeper and deeper into challenging material.  Conversely, if someone really struggles with punctuation or spelling let it show.  The good thing with adaptive tests is that it really hones in on ones level and proficiency on the topic.  I would think that would be what one wants before registering for classes that may be clearly above their abilities.  Lastly, a computerized test would allow for someone to move directly on to the next section after completing the prior one.  I found myself completing sections of the TABE 5 or 10 minutes before the time expired so I would have to sit and wait.  It would have been nice to be allowed to move on and not be held back by someones idea of a standard completion time.

So there you have it.  There was my NWLB orientation and TABE feedback.  I’m not really looking forward to going back.  Next week though is my appointment for my Career Trends Workshop.  Oh joy!!  And demand is so strong and the system is so incredibly backed-up that processing and registration for the $5,000 in education funds is taking upwards of 10 weeks.  So I’ll be missing any Fall admissions deadlines.  I hope to make it all moot by getting a job by then.

A couple weeks prior to filing bankruptcy and, subsequently ending my employment, Noble executives held a company meeting in which they detailed the difficulties and financial hardships we were enduring.  At that time they announced that it was only a matter of time before heavy layoffs (or “right-sizing”) were to occur.

Shortly after this meeting a coworker friend and I were talking about the future and what our plans were for securing new employment.  He kind of wondered out loud about who from our company would make it big.  He remarked that there is usually someone that comes out of circumstances such as ours to go on to great things.  I pondered that for a while and thought ‘why not me?’.

I don’t want to spill the beans exactly as I’ve got a couple of rough ideas that I hope can turn into an opportunity on my own.  I mentioned the Fasttrac workshop in an earlier post which I will attend later this month.  I am excited to learn more about entrepreneurship while there and discuss my ideas with experienced business owners.  There will also be an opportunity to practice business pitches during one of the seminars.

I think it would be great to own a business.  Granted, it takes a lot of effort and risk, but the rewards would be handsome.  I keep coming back to the thought of ‘why not me?’.  I appreciate the inspiration that my friend was in kicking off my rêves de grandeur.  I’ll be sure to post more as things progress.

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This was a humorous column I found in my ESPN Magazine this month.  There are some funny ideas of things found in sports that we should incorporate (pun intended) into our workplaces.  I like the retired phone extensions idea.  I’ve got a couple ideas to add too.

Maybe we could take a page from hockey fans who don’t (re)enter the arena while the puck is in play.  At the workplace nobody should enter my cubicle while I’m in the middle of an e-mail (or report, etc.).

Or how about if you’re behind on a deadline, you turn your shirt inside-out or wear your watch on the opposite wrist as a rally cap idea?

What are some other things found in sports that we could add to the workplace?  Let me know what ideas you have.  Get creative and have fun with it!

During the winter while I’m out shoveling the snow from my sidewalk and driveway, I’ll take some time to do his as well.  He reciprocates in the summer by spending a few minutes to edge my lawn every couple of weeks.  We’ll also do small neighborly-type things for each other.  I’ll carry his 40 lb. dog food into the house for him after he’s been shopping.  He’ll loan some tools for some projects we might be doing around the house.  You get the idea.  We do little tit-for-tat service for each other.

About six months ago a new family moved into the house next door to him.  There are maybe four or five kids that live there and they can be pretty loud and bothersome at times.  The kids aren’t the most polite and have occasionally hit or thrown things at his dogs.  So when the weather got warm enough my neighbor decided he would put up a privacy fence to provide some security for his dogs, but also to keep from having to see them all the time.

It has been a process of a month or so.  Partly due to some unkind weather in the past weeks, but also because he’s been very methodical on how he wanted the fence to go up.  He planned and engineered it and when he was done I would help him with whatever he needed.  Well, this past week the fence went up.  We were so pleased at how the whole process went and how great it looks.  I wanted to share some of the pictures with you.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!